________________
90
[ 77. 18.
staint, truth, purity, non-possession, and continence; and who was surrounded by many friars. Then he saw and felt great respect towards him. He thought "Fortunate is thus he whose sentiments have turned away from the worldly existence; who has abjured all attachment; who is devoted to the highest benevolence. So would I go before him and ask this [77] "What is the cause of tois dejection of him who is in the age so nice for the god of love, and how is the worldly existence full of miseries to him, as it is ?" Then, having descended from the noble Vollaha horse, he went before him. He bowed to Dharmaghosa. The revered friar greeted him with 'Dharmalábha.' Then, having bowed to the remaining friars he, with full devotion sat at the preceptor's feet which were naturally handsome. Turning back to the essence of dejection, he asked revered Dharmaghosa, "Revered sir, how had you such dejection, you who are the family-home of the treasure of all merits-whereby this friarhood at this inopportune time is accepted ? " Then the revered friar said "Oh great faithful, there is sot the inopportune time. Is rot there the all-powerul death which has defeated gods and demons, which is the thunderbolt of the mountain of all desires, which is the prime and only cause of separation from the dear ones, and which increases the dejection of the wise ? And also,-Oh great faithful, if religion is to be followed even at the final pericd cf life for the purpose of purification, why can the same be improper in the beginning ?” The king said “Revered 'sir, of course it is not improper but the dejection can not be without a cause; therefore I ask the cause of dejection” The revered friar said “The worldly existence